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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. content — happy
  9. race — a contest
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — for pool
  13. root — the cause
  14. content — the amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — thin
  19. press — to push
  20. root — of a plant
  21. race — the arms race
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com